Venture into a city to record unsigned bands, and what you get is a
whole lot of nothing in no particular order. Don't assume this one is
different because the talent scout is PiL drummer Martin Atkins -- who
is also, after all, Pigface major-domo Martin Atkins. The reason is
the city: Beijing, 15 million strong, a hub of the kind of thrilling,
contradictory upward mobility that gets kids rocking. Most of the
songs are by English-singing guys with guitars whom we'll call garage
punk because that can mean almost anything cheap and catchy. Lament
the three-song dip toward gothy sludge near the end. But get off on
Hang on the Box's kiddie-femme "Shanghai," TooKoo's pushy "Take Me
Home," Demerit's bish-bashing "Fight Your Apathy," even Snapline's
pop-goth opener, "Close Your Cold Eyes." These eighteen bands are too
excited to explore their contradictions yet. But that too will
come.